Southend-on-Sea City Council has launched a consultation to understand the impact of a proposal to stop the current Southend-on-Sea dementia community support service.
The consultation runs for just over six weeks until Friday 2nd February 2024, and seeks public input to balance financial challenges while understanding how residents of Southend-on-Sea use and value the current service. If the service is stopped, alternative routes for information and advice will be offered through the modernisation of the adult social care department to support anyone living with or supporting someone with dementia.
Rochford and Castle Point residents also currently use this service, but time limited funding from the Castle Point and Rochford Better Care Fund Board ends in March and support for those residents will therefore align with the wider Essex Community Dementia Support Service offer from April 2024.
The dementia support community service offers information, practical advice, and support to help individuals, their families and their carers to both understand and live well with dementia. It includes running motivation and activity groups that are held weekly. The service supports individuals either impacted personally by dementia or supporting someone with the condition.
If stopped, residents would still be able to access valuable and useful support by initially contacting the adult social care team. Depending on the support required, staff would connect them with a social worker, a specialist team or a relevant local or national organisation.
Councillor James Moyies, cabinet member for public health, adult social care and constitutional affairs, said: “Due to the current financial challenges faced by the council and the fact that Essex County Council have withdrawn from this service, we need to review and re-examine the services we offer, to ensure that we can continue to pay for those public services which are statutory and essential. Unfortunately, the dementia community support service, which includes motivational groups has been identified as a non-statutory service that we are proposing to stop so savings can be made. We are also working very hard to provide as much mitigation as possible by offering alternate routes for information and advice through the modernisation of our adult social care department and improved carer response.
"We understand the importance of support and will be encouraging all Southend residents, who have experience of living or supporting someone with dementia, to share their views when we launch our public consultation. Their input will help us make informed decisions about the future, balancing the need for savings with the commitment of the wider Health system to provide support to anyone living in Southend-on-Sea impacted by this life changing condition."
The consultation is one of several taking place over the coming weeks, as part of the council's effort to set a balanced budget for 2024/25 and beyond, with a focus on addressing the financial challenges it faces.
Residents, professionals, and partners are encouraged to share their views through an online survey, paper surveys will also be available from the dementia community support team and the Civic Centre or by contacting the council via email or post.
How to participate:
- complete the online survey
- fill out a paper survey available from the dementia support service team or the Civic Centre
- email: placeconsultation@southend.gov.uk
- write to: Southend-on-Sea City Council, Operational Performance and Intelligence, PO Box 6, Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 6ER